With the ability of cheaper technologies to connect computing devices to the internet, many attempts have appeared recently to connect more and more devices online. Beyond traditional client computers and servers, the Internet connects today many other forms of computing devices, such as cell phones, tablet computers, and printers. Beyond these wired or wireless connections, many manufacturers are trying to provide added value to their products by connecting them online. Examples include thermostats, temperature and weather stations, door locks, cameras, and even refrigerators. These types of connections are commonly referred to as the “Internet of Things” (IoT) and typically use WiFi and/or Ethernet networks in homes and businesses. Alternative connectivity technologies include Bluetooth, fixed wiring, Remote Frequency (RF) connections with dedicated hubs, or cellular networks.
Most recently, the broad availability of RFID technologies, in particular Near Field Communication, or NFC, in most commercial cellular phones, combined with a low cost factor, made NFC one of the most prominent alternatives to connect physical objects to communication devices, such as cellular phones.
While commercial NFC circuits and antennas, or NFC tags, can be easily applied to most materials products are made of, they face technical difficulties if the materials adjacent to the antenna competes with the antenna to conduct the electro-magnetic field of the external interrogating communication device, such as a cell phone. These materials include conductive metals and conductive carbon fiber structures.
This invention teaches how to embed the communication device, such as an RFID tag, with a carbon fiber-based material without the existing draw backs that lead to inability to use or severe performance loss of the communication device.